Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry (Caucasus World: Peoples of the Caucasus) - Tapa dura

This book is the first comprehensive cultural and historical introduction to modern Georgia. It covers the country region by region, taking the form of a literary journey through the transition from Soviet Georgia to the modern independent nation state. Georgia's recorded history goes back nearly 3,000 years. The Georgians converted to Christianity in 330 and their Bagratuni monarchy endured for over 1,000 years. The Soviets ruled the region from 1921 but their vigorous repression did little to eradicate the strong Georgian sense of nationhood. Under Gorbachev, Georgian independence became inevitable and Nasmyth's lively and topical survey charts the nation's remarkable cultural and historical journey to statehood. Peter Nasmyth is uniquely qualified to write on Georgia having travelled extensively in the country over a period of 5 years. This authoritative, lively and perceptive book is based on hundreds of interviews with modern Georgians, from country priests to black marketeers. Georgia: Mountains and Honour will be essential reading for anyone interested in this fascinating region as well as for students and researchers requiring an insight into life after the collapse of the old Soviet order in the richest and most dramatic of the former republics.